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In MLT, you start by saying: Extract a luminance layer (CIE L*) from the image, using channel extraction. There are TWO options: CIE L* a*b* AND CIE*c*h*? Which one did you mean by CIE*L?

Well, I have just RESTARTED BPP just now in the back ground, while I do some work. I have now tried your suggetion: Darks go in DARK column Flats & Dark Fats from one session go in the FLATS column Lights from one session go into the LIGHTS column The I choose CUSTOM: Give the the OTHER session's Fs, DFs & Ls a name under the option: FILTER NAME. So, in the end i have: Darks in darks column Flats & Dark flats from one session in the SAME column with the Flats & Dark Flats from the other session, but separated into 2 groups based on the name i gave them. TICKED THE BOX FOR DARK FLATS. Lights from one session in the SAME column with the Lights from the other session, but separated into 2 groups based on the name i gave them. Diagnostics just warned me that there are no Bias files. Clicked RUN. I will update you in about 45 minutes to an hour... fingers crossed...

Hi Mark I did that he first time around, but it gave me an error.

Yes... I think once you do ABE it becomes normal in color, or on STF click the CHAIN button to unlink RGB channels Here's my outcome... Struggled with the noise.. M63 Final Processing.tif

There seems to be much more noise though in the COMBINED file after stretching: There seems to be much more noise though in the COMBINED Master file.

Ok, its done, and looks like it's worked!!?? BPP produced TWO Master Lights: One of the 30 Light subs Second one of the COMBINED 53 Light subs... The one on the left is the COMBINED file of all the 53 subs. And it looks better than the result I got with DSS, at least there are no visible artifacts? Would be great if someone have a look at it, and if free, have a go at processing it? It might shed some light whether the BPP process I did was OK? Fingers crossed...if the file turns out OK, I will be very very pleased and encouraged..... Many thanks to you all for your help... light-FILTER_OLD-BINNING_1.xisf

I have no idea Wim I am just following Adrian's advice. If you think this is wrong, so where should I add my Dark Flats then? There is no Dark Flats option in BPP?

Yes, I've noticed that WBPP is only in the newer book, the one on the other thread. Wim, by the way, I did try te MLT tutorial you sent me, and while the MLT part worked, I just could not get the Median transform part to work? You mentioned in your tutorial to try to increase the STRENGTH to 7 or 10 on the first layer, but the console window in PI had no STRENGTH option? Just THRESHOLD & AMOUNT? Just could not get it to work yesterday night.

Hi Adrian Ok, I've decided I'm not giving up... So, I took your suggestion, and will use the Flat Darks in the BIAS tab. I've just loaded BPP, and here's what I've done. It's processing now, so should find out in an hour or so if this will be successful: I have 2 sets of Ls, DFs & Fs, and one set of Ds All Ls & Ds are matched @240s -10C Each set of lights has corresponding Fs & DFs, which are matched. In Bias: Loaded DFs from imaging session 1 In Darks: Loaded Ds In Flats: Loaded Fs from imaging session 1 In Lights: loaded Ls from imaging session 1 (30 subs) Clicked CFA, and chose RGGB in Bebayer Decided to try my luck, and add the subs from the SECOND IMAGING SESSION using Groups under CUSTOM TAB Chose BIas, and named it in the FILTER option as "OLD": Loaded DFs from imaging session 2 Chose Dark, and named it in the FILTER option as "OLD": Loaded Ds from common pool (THIS WAS REJECTED by PI, as it informed me that the darks were already loaded. Makes sense. So no NEW Darks here) Chose Flat, and named it in the FILTER option as "OLD": Loaded Fs from imaging session 2 Chose Light, and named it in the FILTER option as "OLD": Loaded Ls from imaging session 2 (23 subs) I noticed that in the FILE COLUMNS for DARKs, FLATS & LIGHTs, I had TWO groups of files, the ones I added initially, and then the group from the other session that i labelled as "OLD" underneath them. In the BIAS column, both groups of DFs were in ONE group, with no separation. Repeated the BIAS process, and gain, no separation between the dark flats based on name. Clicked DIAGNOSTICS and it said all was OK Hit RUN... We will see.....

Thanks Adrian well, BPP just completed.....after about 45 minutes processing. I was greeted with a failure message.. failed to calibrate lights. Console suggests there was no master supplied, when the book clearly explained that a master is not necessary, and I can use my original FIT files out of the camera. I am seriously thinking of throwing in the towel and skipping PI. It looks like an amazing bit of software, but the time and involvement it demands is just too consuming. I will have a look at APP, as it keep popping up and everyone seems to recommend it. I’m still on my trial licence in PI, but growing frustrated with it.

Thanks, I will try that trick the next clear night I do imaging. Any thoughts on BPP? I am about to give it a go, PI book has no mention or Weighted BPP, so sticking with BPP. There is NO TAB for Flat Darks?

Update, Yesterday night stayed up to 3am, and went through the Purist approach, with Warren Keller's book open, and managed to do the whole thing! Took 4 hours though, and obviously just ONE set of files, as still do not know how to combine images from 2 different nights. Four hours!! DSS takes like 20 minutes?? Anyways, I have just opened BPP, to try it the easy way. I realise there is a NEWER WeightedBPP, but it seems it came out AFTER the InsidePixInsight book was printed, and its not in the book. So, sticking with BPP for now. The confusing part is that the book does not mention FLAT DARKS? where do they go? There's only tabs for Bias, Fs, Ds & Lights.

Thanks for your reply. I will try that later when I get home. But just to understand the process above, I have already done all those 7 steps. Would be helpful if you can point out when should DEBAYER process be done? i will avoid combining data from separate nights to avoid complexity, just as you suggested. many thanks

Good afternoon everyone! I hope you are enjoying the weather this fine weekend! I have been using DSS to stack my DSO images, and then processing the stacked FIT file in PI. I am still very much a newbie, and have received a lot of help on the forums. Also reading through Inside PixInsight book. So, last week I imaged M63 over 2 nights. All subs were 240 seconds @ -10C. Took Flats & Dark Flats separately over the two nights. The darks were all from my calibration library., 240s @ -10C. I stacked them all in DSS using Groups, Main Group was Darks, Group one were Ls, DFs & Fs from first night, and Group two were Ls, DFs & Fs from second night. I had never done imaging over separate nights before, and the resulting FIT file was a DISASTER: I was told it is because over the two nights the camera had different orientation on the target, and was advised to stack in PixInsight instead. So, I chose just the images of ONE of the nights, and followed a tutorial on youtube. Which brings me to my 2 questions: A- At what stage do I DEBAYER the Lights subs? I looked up some tutorials on Youtube, and also in the book. It seems in PI, the process is: 1-Use ImageIntegration to stack DARKS to create MASTER DARK 2-Use ImageIntegration to stack FLAT DARKS to create MASTER FLAT DARK 3-Use ImageCalibration to stack FLATS with MASTER FLAT DARK to create CALIBRATED FLATS 4-Use ImageIntegration to stack CALIBRATED FLATS to create MASTER FLAT 5-Use ImageCalibration to stack LIGHTS with MASTER DARK + MASTER FLAT to create CALIBRATED LIGHTS 6-Use StarAlignment to stack CALIBRATED LIGHTS to create REGISTERED LIGHTS 7-Use ImageIntegration to stack REGISTERED LIGHTS to create MASTER LIGHT Unfortunately, after going through the full hour tutorial, it turned out to be for a MONO camera. My camera is a OSC 294MC Pro, so the resultant image was GRAY. At which point in the above 7 steps do I DEBAYER my LIGHT SUBS? And where does cosmetic correction come in as well? B- If I want to do this process with subs from BOTH nights, how will I go about that in PI? Darks will be common to both nights, but Ls, Fs & DFs will be different? Many thanks for any help!!

Thanks for your reply Well, I have a mobile setup, so every time I setup, I thread the reducer and camera on, so the Camera orientation is different every time. Also, Since I setup in the garden every time, the mount may slew to 63 on one side and on another night might do it from the other side.

Ok...Houston, we've had a problem. I opened the stacked file in PI, and after I stretched it, there is something wrong. I never saw this before?

To me, while I like Ioptron, and what they bring to the table; low weight mounts with disproportionately high load capacity, I do not like the looks of that mount. Very narrow at the base, looks very top heavy, and those exposed wires are inexcusable in my view. That's a very strange example of engineering.

lol... In fact, I AM a doctor.... thanks for your reply! Will do when I am back home from work...

Morning everyone I have not used groups before in DSS, but wanted to check if what I am about to do is correct: I have TWO sets of lights, flats & dark flats from 2 different nights. I have a set of Darks in my calibration library that were taken with the older set of L, F & DF. ALL Light subs & Dark subs share same exact settings: 240s, -10C, 120Gain, 20Offset in ASCOM Flats & Dark Flats are obviously matched for each night, but different across the 2 nights. Do I go about this as follows: Main Group: Darks Group 1: Older Ls, Fs & DFs Group 2: Newer Ls, Fs & DFs Many thanks

Agree. I had both, AZ-EQ6 Pro, the new one, and a CEM25P. Both are quiet, but the CEM25P was dead silent, and much quicker at slewing. Sadly the CEM has gone now!

If that specimen in the video is a final retail version, it seems they have not covered up the exposed wires?

true....those exposed wires look hideous... Surely they will have to cover that up...somehow?

Nice one! Not sure how to look at the histogram, but I did invert the mask to protect the galaxy, and applied SCNR RED, and red is gone!! Can you please clarify what you mean by: " apply MMT to chrominance just before stretching, use 8 layers" ? Sorry, newbie here. Would appreciate if you can explain that in simple terms? Many thanks! Here's the FIRST image with SCNR RED done. BIG difference. Thanks :)

Redid the whole thing...PCC seems to be working now. Used RangeSelection and made use of Masks... It was interesting..to say the least...

Ok, I think it finally worked. I chose: DISTORTION CORRECTION, and unticked automatic limit magnitude, and chose 18 instead. Was advised in Inside PixInsight book by Warren Keller. Not sure of the result though? What the >?)$!